GIS to determine size of cash crops

Karachi, Pakistan, August 8, 2007: The Sindh Ministry of Agriculture has launched a GIS project to determine size of main cash crops, such as cotton, wheat and rice. The system launched in collaboration with Suparco is based on satellite data, has been started in a few districts on trial basis.

Secretary of Agriculture Mohkam Din Qadri said that the existing conventional method to determine size of crop would continue along with the satellite survey to ensure greater accuracy of the crop data.

The manual system, even though consumes more time and requires a lot of manpower takes into account the damaged or infested portion of a standing crop.

Mr Qadri said speculations about the size of the crops were started well before the crops are matured. These are aimed to influence the market by some vested interest. Some trade bodies in cotton field do not rely on estimates made by the government but carry out their own surveys to plan their future buying and selling activity. The secretary expressed the hope that with the satellite system of determining crop size, the trade would be greatly benefited.